


cats can fall in love too

by TeaWithMeAtThree



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cats, Cat AU, Cat Hannibal, Cat Hannibal Lecter, Cat Will, Cats, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-03
Updated: 2018-06-03
Packaged: 2019-05-17 19:10:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14837510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaWithMeAtThree/pseuds/TeaWithMeAtThree
Summary: Hannibal and Will are cats. They become rather endeared to each other.Features cuddles, purring, hunting and blood





	cats can fall in love too

**Author's Note:**

> Hannibal is a grey Nebelung, and Will is a tabby Laperm.  
> Written instead of revising for my university examinations because cat fics are fun and microbiology is not.  
> Also, I'm sorry - I know cats can't grin or laugh or smirk... but in my head they do.

 " _Every adventure requires a first step_ " - The Cheshire Cat

* * *

 

Hannibal stretched languidly, curling his clean grey paws over the marble wall. He rested his head down and watched the movement of the streets through lidded eyes. Baltimore could be remarkably dull. It wasn't due to lack of activity, for indeed, he had witnessed many fights and collisions, relationships and break ups, from his perch on the wall. However, there was nothing special about these events. They were ordinary and common and their participants were even more so.

He did not have friends. He had acquaintances and familiar people, and that was it. Bedelia was a tidy, refined women. She bought him organic meals with fancy labels and high price tags. In exchange for her care, she received his respect. When she returned from work, he dutifully met her at the door and meowed in greeting. Once fed, they spent their evenings in the study together. Bedelia often sat with her tablet, whilst Hannibal perused the bookshelves and rested on the window ledge. It was a content life. It was a lonely one, too.

From his perch on the marble wall, Hannibal was able to watch the local cats. When they had first seen him and attempted introductions, his sharp hissing had quickly dispelled the attempts. Of all the cats he met, only one was undeterred. It was the only cat who caught his attention. Will.

When he first met Will, it was an unremarkable autumn afternoon. After a light lunch, Hannibal was crossing the garden to return to his wall. He paused though upon finding a brown figure perched there. He studied it, recognising it to be a laperm cat. The laperm lay quite still on the marble, enjoying the morning sun. It was really rather unacceptable. Hannibal crept through the grass then leapt onto the wall beside the laperm. At his sudden appearance, the laperm scatted backwards, scuffling inelegantly from him. When it showed no further signs of leaving, Hannibal hissed, stepping towards it. The laperm stayed still, eyes wide but not looking at him. Indeed, it seemed the laperm was looking over him, over his long grey fur and down to his trimmed claws. Then it frowned.

"You are a Nebelung," the laperm commented.  
"You are on my wall," replied Hannibal, "and that is rude." The laperm glanced down, dabbing a paw at the marble.  
"Sorry. It seemed a good spot." The laperm was inspecting the marble, steadfastly ignoring his gaze. Hannibal looked over it's messy curls before stabbing a paw forwards and hissing again. Finally, the laperm looked up.  
"You are lonely and bored. Why do you insist on sending me away?" Hannibal was silent a moment.  
"I don't want company," he replied proudly, trying to hide his shock at the observation. The laperm looked to Hannibal for a few more moments, but before it could reply, there was a rough bark from along the street.

"Will! Will! Will!" A golden retriever was bounding down the pavement towards them. "Will!" It came to a stop below them and looked up to the laperm, panting happily. The laperm turned to Hannibal.  
"Excuse me a moment." Then it leapt down onto the street.  
"Are you well Will? Are you good, are you well?" The retriever spoke fast, slobbering helplessly.  
"I am thanks, Max," the laperm - Will - replied. Hannibal grew concerned when the retriever lifted a heavy paw above Will, but the paw did not smack down. Instead, Will nudged up into it and licked at the retriever's arm. He then shuffled closer, and the retriever lowered his head so Will could rub up against it neck, stroking his face over the retriever's cheeks and licking happily at it.

The dogs owner watched the exchange with no surprise and it was evident that Will met with this dog often.  
"You look skinny. Skinnier than before. Is Jack feeding you? Are you fed? Are you well?" The retriever scuppered questions at Will, who purred nonchalantly in response.  
"He normally remembers to feed me. Besides, I'm a good hunter. Jack knows that." The retriever nosed at Will, gentler than before.  
"Don't let him forget you now Bella's gone. Don't let him. Ok? Ok?" Will smiled at the dogs concern.  
"Don't worry yourself Max." He continued his affections towards the dog, who was now licking at Will's curls. Between licks, the dog noticed Hannibal sat on the wall.  
"Your friend? You have a friend! You have a cat friend!" The dog bounced about, but Will nudged at him to stop.  
"We have just met. Though we are not friends. He doesn't find me that interesting." 

Hannibal considered Will. Indeed, upon first meeting, he had not cared for him at all. Stealing his wall, then refusing to move. But now... Will looked up to him, looking to his eyes. Hannibal looked over Will's tabby curls, and found the urge to groom them into order. He watched Will interact with the dog and felt quiet jealousy over the affection. Everytime Will spoke, he was continually shocked by the cats insight. So maybe Will did interest him. A little bit. He really was rather lonely.

 "I don't even know his name," Will muttered.  
"Hannibal." His own reply was sudden and unexpected. He hoped Will hadn't noticed hide eagerness. The widening smirk on Will's face suggested otherwise.  
"Come on Max." The owner had grown bored of the encounter and was starting to walk, tugging at the dogs lead.  
"Got to go. Good to see you Will. Good to see you." Will turned to the dog and they rubbed their noses together in fairwell.  
"It was lovely to see you too Max. Take care."  
"I will, I will," called the dog, running along towards its owner. 

"It was nice to meet you Hannibal." Hannibal looked back down to find Will staring fondly up at him. When a few moments had passed and Hannibal still hadn't replied, Will turned and pattered away along the street. Hannibal watched his tabby tail swim joyfully through the air as he left. And despite his general distaste for other cats, despite Will's bluntness and rude introduction, Hannibal found himself wishing Will had not left.

A few days passed with no sign of Will. Hannibal knew he should be pleased to have the wall to himself again, but all he could think of was those brown curls and studying eyes. He saw cars, people and cats but each was exceedingly boring. No clever cats to chat with. No weird inter-species mingling to wonder at. Bedelia seemed to pick up on Hannibal's mood, and treated him with gourmet salmon. Not even that could make him happy.

It was almost a week later that Will finally returned. He was walking carefully along the wall towards Hannibal, who was trying to feign nonchalance.  
"Good afternoon Will," he greeted once the laperm had settled near to him.  
"Hannibal." The cat tilted his head towards him, meeting his eyes only for a moment before casting them down to his paws.  
"I trust your week has been pleasant?" Will mewled against that, and rolled about a little, finally settling awkwardly lying on his side.  
"Jack ran out of cat food and keeps forgetting to buy more. I've caught a few things to tide me over, but the general lack of food is a little draining." Will stretched a paw over to Hannibal, tapping at his arm. "How about you?" Hannibal wasn't sure how to answer. He could hardly admit to a week of misery in Will's absence.  
"Do you want some food?" he asked hopefully. "I can get you something?" Will rolled back to a seated position, moving himself closer to Hannibal. He rested his gaze on Hannibal's whiskers, running his gaze along each silvery thread.  
"I wouldn't want to impose..."  
"Of course not. It would be a pleasure." For truly it would. Will was so wonderful, Hannibal just couldn't resist. He would do anything for Will, despite only having shared a few short words. There was something about the cat - that look in his eyes, when it felt as if he could see right through Hannibal's isolating facade. It was delightful to be so clearly seen.  
"Well then, I suppose it is a date." Will stood. "Please, lead the way." Hannibal smiled then rose, careful not to bump the other cat hovering above him.

Will followed Hannibal across the lawn and through the cat flap, into the kitchen. Bedelia had left some of the salmon out for Hannibal, which he offered to Will along with his bowl of water. Will smiled, his cheeks slightly rosy at the offering.  
"Would you like any?" he asked.  
"I am quite full - please, help yourself." Watching Hannibal, Will bent down to take a timid bite. As he chewed, his eyes slipped shut and he rumbled with a contented purr. Hannibal bloomed at the sound, deciding he would have to elicit it more. Will's vibrating happiness was rather beautiful. Once Will had finished eating, he looked up to the besotted cat before him. For once, Hannibal was the one to quickly avert his gaze. Will smiled and walked over, rubbing his cheek against Hannibal's. Hannibal pinched his eyes shut and couldn't help his faint purr in response. Will took a step back.

"Let me take you somewhere." Hannibal opened his eyes to Wills expectant face. He nodded, failing to hide the embarrassment of being asked. Something about Will had him flailing for coherent thought. He just couldn't help himself. Quick as a whistle, Will leapt through the cat flap. Hannibal was not far behind. They crossed the garden and climbed over the marble wall and onto the street. Hannibal was uneasy - he had not travelled much further than the boundaries of Bedelia's house - but one glance at Will and his eager swishing tail had Hannibal hurrying to join.  
"We don't have all day old man," Will teased.

_I'll teach him to call me an old man._

 All at once, Hannibal sprinted at Will, knocking his head into the cat's side. Will rolled away but was quickly back on his feet, meowing eagerly.  
"Not so old now, am I."  
"No," laughed Will, running to Hannibal and performing the same move. Both stumbled and rolled across the pavement. Will went to leap up again but Hannibal clawed at him, pulled him down. "Stop it," groaned Will, rolling onto his back to look at Hannibal, grinning helplessly. "Come on, or we'll never make it." 

A few streets passed and they soon reached the park. Grass stretched further than the eye could see, scattered with clusters of trees. Will led them to an area of shrubbery, then motioned to Hannibal to lie low.  
"Look - over there - a mouse." Will gestured to a orange bush, to a field mouse scurrying around the dying leaves. "You need catch it," he demanded, looking Hannibal dead in the eyes. For a moment, Hannibal couldn't  _breathe_. How Will's instructions could make him feel overwhelmed, it was a wonder indeed.  
"I have never caught a mouse," he stuttered. Truly, he had never caught  _anything._ It just wasn't what refined cats do. Will was refined though. Not in the ordinary sense, but in his own way. His cautiously kind manner and strict sense of how things should me. His understanding of others.  
"Just follow your instincts."

Hannibal closed his eyes a moment. He wanted to do it. Not just to please Will, but because he'd  _always_ wanted to do it. This was the opposite of boring. He could feel the blood pulsing through his limbs, ready for the task. With a quick look to Will, Hannibal crept forward and readied himself, tensed near to the ground. The mouse paused its actions, nibbling at a piece of bark. Hannibal took his cue.

He sprung forward, slamming down where the mouse had been. Beneath his paw, he saw the creature. Will padded up beside him and, upon seeing the catch, purred and licked affectionately at Hannibal's neck, who felt hugely flustered and rather pleased with himself.  
"Now what do we do?" asked Hannibal, knowing the answer to his question but entirely distracted by Will's tongue.  
"We eat it," Will answered between licks.  
"Can we eat it?"  
"Is it dead?" Hannibal watched the creature and saw its legs twitching and heard faint squeaks. With a swipe of his claw, he tore into its neck. A small stream of blood poured to the dirt beneath.  
"Now it is." Hannibal pushed at the wound, trying to pull back the skin and see beneath. Will pushed away his paw and knelt down. Hidden from view, Will nibbled at the creature and tore free a slither of meat. He swallowed it quickly and turned to Hannibal, a dribble of blood on his jaw. Hannibal leant beside Will and copied. The meat was warm and fresh. He had never tasted anything like it.  
"It's not quite your luxury tinned salmon, but it's good." Hannibal purred in agreement, then turned to Will and licked the blood from Will's chin. Will allowed him, vibrating softly, before returning the favour.

Once their meal was done, they returned home. Sunset was approaching and Bedelia would be home soon.  
"You're sure you won't come for supper?"  
"I scarcely need it, having already eaten twice today," grinned Will. Hannibal accepted that and enjoyed their walk back, eyes hardly leaving the laperm as they went. Will's brown curls seemed almost golden under the setting sun. His countenance was warm and eyes full of truth. Will was beautiful. So beautiful, Hannibal could hardly stand it.

That night, Hannibal fell asleep with thoughts full of his beautiful laperm. It was that very cat that woke him. At an odd hour of night, he was roused from his sleep by claws insistently scratching at the kitchen door. Hannibal hissed instantly at the damage the creature would be doing to the door, but as soon as he saw it to be Will, he stopped. Carefully, Hannibal unlocked the flap like Bedelia had showed him, and he slid out to greet Will.

The laperm was frantic. His eyes were wide and voice hurried.  
"You have to come help me."  
"What's wrong?" Hannibal lifted a paw to Will's head to calm him.  
"There's a dog... It's too stubborn, and I- well- I thought you could help. Now I feel foolish. Sorry... Sorry."  
"Show me the way," insisted Hannibal, tapping Will to prompt him to move. Will was quicker than usual as they travelled, but at least seemed calmer than before. Soon they reached a street lined with vehicles and houses. It was easy to spot the dog where it lay by a parked car on the road. Even if you couldn't see the large creature - his black fur did make him hard to spot in the dark of night - it was easy to notice from its miserable whining.

"Please let me help you," soothed Will, carefully stepping closer. The dog barked roughly and incoherently, attempting to scare Will off. Will turned to Hannibal, exasperated. "He just won't listen to me."  
"Dog," commanded Hannibal, "stop being foolish. Stop." Hannibal moved to stand next to Will, a display of joint strength to the the dog. It whined a little more before quieting and considering them.  
"How could you help me? I've been hit by a car - this isn't some meager cat scratch."  
"I've done this before," promised Will, "so I know what I'm doing." Hannibal turned his head abruptly, mouth slightly open in shock at this revelation.  
'I can clean the wound and ascertain the extent of the damage and can fetch appropriate human help." The dog frowned at Will's explanation, but it was clearly considering it.  
"You've done this before?"  
"More times than I can count."

The dog relented and allowed Will to step closer. With gentle movements, Will nosed and licked at the wounds. The dog whined pitifully and Hannibal eyed it, weary of any negative reaction. A few minutes pass with Will still focussed on the dog's injuries. When he reaches its paw it flinches - clearly a painful spot - and the dog flinches, catching Will across the cheek.  
"Careful," scolded Hannibal.  
"I'm nearly done," whispered Will, returning to the paw. The dog seemed on edge. Hannibal couldn't hurt but worry. Suddenly, lights flashed onto them as a car turned down the street. It drove by, fast and loud. The dog panicked.

For a moment, Hannibal didn't realise the dog had done more than howl. Will was standing very still and then he wasnt standing at all. He collapsed into the floor with a mewl.  
"Will!" cried Hannibal, rushing forward. On Will's side was a deep bite, blood running down his fur. "You fool!" hissed Hannibal, turning to the dog. "Stupid creature!" The dog edged back, clearly ashamed.  
"I was scared."  
"I don't care if you were getting hit again. I don't care if you were out of your mind with fear. You bit Will." There was a mewl from behind Hannibal. He turned to his laperm and desperately rubbed his head to him.  
"I'm fine Hannibal."  
"You need to get to a vet. Can you walk?" Will got to his feet and, though a little wobbly, managed to hold himself up.  
"What about the dog?' asked Will.  
"It hurt you."  
"And we're going to help it," he insisted. Hannibal sighed.  
"Let me help you home, then I'll fetch someone to help it." Hannibal stood beside Will, allowing the cat to lean slightly and ease his weight.  
"Thank you," mumbled Will.

Hannibal supported Will as they walked, catching Will whenever he fell and keeping an eye out for any threats. It would not do for someone to take advantage of Will in his vulnerability. By the time they reached Will's house, the wound had stopped bleeding. It did not seem too severe - just rather painful.  
"Will you be ok?" Hannibal looked up at the dark house. It did not seem inviting. "Make sure someone looks at that."  
"Yes. Thank you." Will spoke softly and parted with a small lick to Hannibal's chin. With much reluctance, Hannibal left Will and performed the arduous task of alerting a stranger to the condition of the dog. Hannibal turned his nose up to the dog's attempt of thanking him.

The next day Hannibal returned to Will. The house was still dark, shadows from closed curtains. It was still eerily quiet.  
"Jack's gone to work," explained Will. Hannibal scowled when he spotted the wound.  
"He didn't do anything." It looked no better than the day before and certainly had not been bandaged.  
"I didn't tell him," mumbled Will.  
"Why not?"  
"I didn't want to worry him."  
"Willlllll," mewled Hannibal. Will pattered forward, awfully bashful, and swiped a playful paw to Hannibal's cheek. Hannibal feigned for a frown - indeed, he could hardly hit Will considering his condition.

Careful of his wound, Will rolled onto his back. Hannibal admired the view - his beautiful laperm sprawled in the shadows. Beneath those curls lay the bite marks, surrounding fur matted with dried blood.  
"Does it look bad?" inquired Will.  
"I don't think so," remarked Hannibal. "It does not look too awful, though you definitely should see a vet.'  
"I don't want to trouble Jack," sighed Will, rolling back up to stand (much to Hannibal's chagrin).  
"Then come home with me. Bedelia can afford it."  
"...I don't want to impose."  
"Please, Will. I'll be sick with worry if you don't." Will considered him, his hopeful eyes and pleading words.  
"Ok."

The journey to Hannibal's house was slower than he had hoped. When Will had tried to run, he had hissed at the pain it caused his side, so they settled into a slow pace. Bedelia was in the kitchen when they arrived.  
"You have a friend, Hannibal," she observed with mild amusement. Hannibal meowed in affirmation and pushed Will proudly to her. He instructed Will to lie down so that Bedelia could see the bite.  
"That looks rather nasty." She bent down to get a closer look. "Your owner should get that checked out." Both cats stared up at Bedelia in silence. She seemed together the message. "I suppose I can take you."  
"Thank you," Hannibal replied. Bedelia smiled mutely at the meow.  
"We go from years of calm to a friend and an injury,it's quite the change of character Hannibal." He was thankful for cats could not blush, for if they could, he would certainly be rather pink.  
"Thank you," repeated Will softly. Hannibal turned to his laperm and was overwhelmed by how dear he was. Oh Will. Now, he would surely be scarlet.

* * *

 Will was unsurprised at how little Jack cared for his injury. He was unsurprised that he still bought new food and mostly ate or hunted with Hannibal. It was therefore unsurprising when Will moved out.

Bedelia added another cat bed to the kitchen though she needen't have bothered. Hannibal and Will much preferred curling up in one bed together.

When Will went to check on Jack, he found his cat bed pushed down the side of a cabinet and few toys nowhere to be seen. Jack probably thought he was dead.

Will stayed with Hannibal. They ate together, slept together. Rolled around in the grass play-fighting and occasionally went out hunting. They proudly spent most of their time lying around and grooming each other atop of the marble wall. Sometimes Will's dog friends would walk by - they even spotted the one that had bitten Will. Will would hop down to greet the dogs as Hannibal watched on wistfully, quite besotted with his wonderful laperm. His Will.

**Author's Note:**

> There'll be no follow up to this. But in my head, I picture an epilogue of mpreg, kittens, lots of affectionate nose rubbing and more kittens. Of growing old, sitting on the sofa together, watching Only Connect on the television with Hannibal getting all the answers right. Of sleepy eyes and old parents, kittens long gone. Of nighttime snuggles and long days of loving comments and purring and warmth.


End file.
